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My foreman told me to always use a dry ladle for the first pour of the day, no matter what.
He said it was the only way to avoid a cold shut in the first casting. I followed that rule for about two years at the old Milwaukee plant. Then one morning, I was running late and used the same ladle from the pre-heat. The pour was perfect, and the part passed inspection. Now I think that extra step might just be a waste of time for our smaller molds. Has anyone else tested this with their setup?
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walker.cole29d ago
Old rules stick around long after the reason for them is gone. Your foreman probably learned that on some huge industrial line with different metal and bigger molds. A cold shut on a small pour is way less likely. If it worked fine that one time, the rule is probably just extra work for your setup.
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terry_jones29d ago
Nah, one lucky pour doesn't mean the old safety rule is useless now.
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henrycooper20d ago
I get where you're coming from, but I think the old rule is still smart practice. That one lucky pour had the right temperature and flow just by chance, but a cold shut can happen fast and you won't see it until the part fails. On a small pour the metal cools quicker, not slower, so the risk is still there if the mold is cold or you hesitate for a second. I've seen guys skip the preheat on a tiny aluminum mold and end up with a crap casting that splits right down the seam. The rule's not about being fancy, it's about covering your back when things go wrong.
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blake69120d ago
Eh, is that really that big of a deal?
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